Lucy Danger, managing director of EMERGE, said: “This development will enable us to substantially enhance our waste and recycling offering to businesses in Greater Manchester and the north west as well as giving us additional capacity to meet our charitable objectives.

“Before the acquisition, our social enterprise had built a strong reputation in waste and recycling alongside our charitable work in 3Rs education and FareShare food distribution.

“The merger takes our offering to a new level and will give us capabilities to offer services such as shredding confidential documentation for clients as well as adding operational capacity and a new Sales Manager to help drive our planned expansion.”

EMERGE was advised on the deal by a team from Mills & Reeve in Manchester, led by partner Scott Sands.

He said: “I am pleased that we have been able to play a part in helping EMERGE Recycling to expand and develop its commercial waste and collection service. The organisation performs a valuable service in the community and this deal will help them go from strength to strength.”

As part of the acquisition, former Green Reaper managing partner, Nevil Tideswell, has become commercial manager of EMERGE’s combined waste and recycling operation.

He said: “All our existing and new customers will benefit as a result of working with such a forward thinking social enterprise and the added capacity offered by access to new equipment.”